Stars and Swipes by Wilhelm Staehle

Synopsis:
Here are 30 exquisite postcards from Wilhelm Staehle’s Silhouette Masterpiece Theater (silhouettemasterpiecetheater.com). Each panel in the popular weekly web comic features a painstakingly detailed etching carved from a beautiful painting; the results are gorgeous and very funny. Stars and Swipes offers a hilarious vision of classic Americana, with farcical frontiersmen, prattling presidents, and other all-American oddities.
(Synopsis from Amazon.)

My Thoughts:
If you read my review of Hugs and Misses, you know how much I love it. After finishing Hugs and Misses, I was so excited to read Stars and Swipes. I loved it as well. This postcard book points out some truths about America that I never noticed before, but it does it in a way that's funny and creative. I had never noticed what the book pointed out about Teddy Roosevelt.


My favorite postcard in this book was the one about the liberty bell. If I didn't have a thing about not destroying my books, I would totally rip that out and hand to everyone whose cell phone ringtones go off incredibly loud and annoyingly. I also think these postcards would make great tee shirts as well.

I give Stars and Swipes: 4/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://wilhelmstaehle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wilhelmstaehle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilhelmstaehle
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/wilhelm-staehle
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/printdrop/wilhelm-staehle/

I received this book from the publisher, Quirk Books, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Hugs and Misses by Wilhelm Staehle

Synopsis:
Here are 30 exquisite postcards from Wilhelm Staehle’s Silhouette Masterpiece Theater (silhouettemasterpiecetheater.com). Each panel in the popular weekly web comic features a painstakingly detailed etching carved from a beautiful painting; the results are gorgeous and very funny. Hugs and Misses is a terrific Valentine’s Day gift, full of lovelorn ladies, roguish gentlemen, renegade Cupids, and indecent proposals.
(Synopsis from Amazon.)

My Thoughts:
For those of you that have been following my reviews for a little while, you know that I like books that are a little out of the ordinary. If something is quirky, funny, weird, or bizarre, there's a good chance that I will read it, no questions asked. I also love sarcastic humor, the snarkier the better. Therefore when I was contacted by Quirk to see if I wanted to review a book of snarky postcards, I said yes immediately.

I thought Hugs and Misses was great. It had all the snarky, sarcastic humor that I love. It even had bad puns, which made it even better. My favorite postcard in the book was the one about the Victorian girls. It made me laugh for quite a long time. 

They were a couple jokes that I didn't understand, but I got most of them. The ones that I did understand made me at least chuckle, if not laugh like a hyena on crack. I won't send any of these postcards out because I have strict rules about taking care of my books, and that includes not ripping things out. However, this will make a great book to make friends laugh whenever they do come over.

I give Hugs and Misses: 4/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://wilhelmstaehle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wilhelmstaehle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilhelmstaehle
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/wilhelm-staehle
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/printdrop/wilhelm-staehle/

I received this book from the publisher, Quirk Books, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It is where you showcase books that you have received during the week. All of my books will be linked to Goodreads.

For Review:

Nothing this week.

Library:

• Locke and Key Volume 1 by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (I've heard a lot of great things about this on Booktube, so I decided to give it a try.)
• Superman: Earth One Volume 2 by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis  (I read volume one and loved it. I needed volume two immediately.)

• iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred (I love the TV show that recently started airing on the CW, so I wanted to try the graphic novels.)
• Loveless volume 7 by Yun Kouga (The series is the first yoai manga series I have ever read. I'm enjoying it so far.)

Free:

I got all of these from my library's free bookshelf.

• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (I've heard really good things about this.)
• Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster (I thought this sounded funny, and I love reading books by bloggers.)
• Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton (I've heard great things about this author, and haven't read anything super steamy in a while.)

• King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang (I love the legend of King Arthur, and wish to learn everything about it that I can.)

That's it for this week. I'm sorry that this book haul is so short compared to my other ones that I've done. I counted my unread physical books this week, and I realize that I have 832. That's not even including my review copies, or what I have on my Kindle. So, I'm trying not to get a many books as I usually do until I can decrease that number. Have you read any of these? If so, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of them. Do any of them sound intriguing to you? If so, let me know which ones and why. If you have a Stacking the Shelves, or book haul post for the week, please leave it in the comments. I would love to see it.

Big Gay Ice Cream by Bryan Petroff and Doug Quint

Synopsis:
Welcome to Big Gay Ice Cream’s debut cookbook, a yearbook of ice cream accomplishments—all the recipes you need to create delicious frozen treats

• New to making ice cream at home? Never fear—freshman year starts off simple with store-bought toppings and shopping lists for the home ice cream parlor.
• Sophomore year kicks it up a notch with tasty sauces and crunchy toppings.
• Junior year puts your new skills to work with shakes, floats, and sundaes inspired by some of Big Gay Ice Cream’s top-selling treats, including, of course, the Salty Pimp.
• In Senior year, get serious with outrageously delicious sorbets and ice cream recipes.

Along the way, you can enjoy Bryan and Doug’s stranger-than-fiction stories, cheeky humor, vibrant photography and illustrations, and plenty of culinary and celebrity cameos (including an introduction by Headmaster Anthony Bourdain)
(Synopsis from Goodreads).

My Thoughts:
I love supporting the LGBT community. Pair that with one of my favorite foods, ice cream, and I am definitely on board. Everything about Big Gay Ice Cream drew me in. I love the cover with the glittery rainbow ice cream on the front. I also am interested in learning how to make my own ice cream. When I was offered this book for review, I jumped at the chance. Not only will it look great on my bookshelf, but it will definitely come in handy.

As I previously stated, I've always wanted to learn how to make homemade ice cream. However, I thought that sounded like an incredibly difficult and intimidating task. However, this book breaks it down in a way that is easy to understand. In the beginning of the book, it lists all the tools you need to have incredible toppings. I never would have thought to put hot sauce, or jalapeños on ice cream.

I really enjoyed how this book was set up like a yearbook. Not only did it have a lot of ice cream recipes, which were awesome, but it also had a lot of snarky commentary, and background info about the Big Gay Ice Cream food truck. It was really interesting to learn about. I hope to visit it one day if I'm ever in the area to try one of their crazy concoctions.

This book had a lot of useful info, and was interesting to read. I think I might try to make a Nuclear Winter Sundae without the coconut. It has chocolate ice cream, pickles, and sriracha, among other things. I know it kind of sounds disgusting, but I like trying new things and it has three of my favorite foods. I'm sure it will turn out delicious. I recommend this book for anyone who is looking to try something a little different and isn't afraid to get creative. I also recommend it to anyone who is interested in the food truck industry.

I give Big Gay Ice Cream: 4/5.

Want to know more about the authors?
Website: http://biggayicecream.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bryanpetroff/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bryanpetroff

I received this book via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

#Scandal by Sarah Ockler

Synopsis:
Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.

When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral.

By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation. 

Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate.
(Synopsis from Goodreads.)

My Thoughts:
I don't know why, but I have been in the mood to read a lot of YA contemporaries lately. I think that with finals week going on, I just wanted some light, quick, fluffy reads. I really liked the hashtag in the title of #Scandal. I have never seen an author do that before. After I read the synopsis, I had to read this book. I thought it would sound like something I would love. I wasn't disappointed at all.

I really loved #Scandal. It took the issue of cyber bullying, which is a serious issue that happens across the world, and drew awareness for it in such a clever way. I thought that (e)vil was hilarious. They had me cracking up constantly with all of their protests and crazy theories. Even though they were in the book for comedic relief, some of the things they said about cyber bullying were true. It was an inventive way to get the point across.

The only thing I really didn't like about the book was Lucy's friends. They weren't very good friends at all. They trusted random classmate's words, and gossip that they heard, over Lucy. Also, when Lucy really needed their support, they completely abandoned her and left her on her own. If it wasn't for Cole, I'm not sure how she would have survived all of the bullying. Speaking of that, another thing that really bothered me was where were all of the teachers and adults in this book? Why didn't they do anything to stop all of the bullying that Lucy endured? She would get called a slut, or worse, right in front of the teachers and they would do nothing to discipline the classmates doing the name calling.

Other than those couple of things that really frustrated me, I enjoyed #Scandal. It was my first Sarah Ockler book, and it definitely won't be my last. I recommend this book for anyone that likes contemporary fiction that deals with social media or bullying.

I give #Scandal: 4/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://sarahockler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahockler
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahockler
Tumblr: http://sarahockler.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2188726.Sarah_Ockler

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

Synopsis:
The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?
(Synopsis from Goodreads.)

My Thoughts:
I loved the first book in this duology, Prisoner of Night and Fog. I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I was done, I picked up Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke. Even though I enjoyed it, it was disappointing when compared to the first book in the series.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke was incredibly slow throughout the book. I expected it to be a fast paced, action packed thrill ride to defeating Hitler. However, for a good portion of the book, especially the middle, I was really bored. It seemed like nothing happened. Also, when Gretchen finally saw Hitler was anticlimactic. I expected a bigger battle than what happened.

I did still enjoy the characters. I felt that Gretchen really matured in this book. She really came into her own, and we as reader got to see her morph from a closed minded, brain washed child to an open minded accepting young woman who could hold her own against one of the world's most fearsome leaders.

As far as I know, the series is just going to be a duology. I want more though. I hope the author writes more books in the series. I would love to see how Daniel and Gretchen fair through the rest of World War II. I would also love to see Gretchen's reaction to Hitler's death when it does happen. Also, I would love to see what Gretchen's reaction is to Ava, and the path she takes in life.

I give Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke: 3.5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.anneblankman.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneBlankman
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012378.Anne_Blankman

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Synopsis:
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.
(Synopsis from Goodreads.)

My Thoughts:
Prisoner of Night and Fog has one of the most original premises I have ever heard of. It drew me in immediately. Historical fiction set in World War II from the point of view of Hitler's "niece". I knew I had to read it as soon as I could. I have never read any historical fiction about World War II that I enjoyed until this book. Now I try to read every World War II book I can find, fiction and nonfiction, because I loved Prisoner of Night and Fog so much.

Even though it was fiction, I didn't know a lot of detail about why Hitler did the things he did, so it was interesting to get an inside look at his psyche. He had a lot of mental illness going on, and was abused by his father, which I never knew.

The book itself was action packed. Every time I thought things couldn't get crazier, I was proved wrong. There were several times where I had to stop, take a breath, and go what the heck just happened?! This happened especially towards the end. I was so scared for the two main characters with what they were going through.

I loved this book. I devoured every word, and was left wanting more. In fact, I ended up picking up the sequel as soon as I was finished, and read all of it the next day. I hope to have a review up for that very soon. I recommend Prisoner of Night and Fog to anyone who loves historical fiction, and learning more about World War II. I also recommend it for fans of The Book Thief.

I give Prisoner of Night and Fog: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.anneblankman.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneBlankman
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012378.Anne_Blankman

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.